Instant Pot Chicken Breast Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

How to cook chicken breasts so they are moist and tender? ›

Oddly enough, it can be really challenging to get the right texture when cooking boneless chicken breasts. They cook quickly in the Instant Pot, but if you don't cook them long enough they get a weird, rubber-like texture that's nearly impossible to chew, and if you cook them too long, their texture gets dry.

Instant Pot Chicken Wings

The 5 minutes did get them to the safe 165F after the resting period BUT they were far from fall-off the bone. Just like for the whole legs or just thighs and drumsticks longer cooking equals more tender and fall-off the bone meat.

You're Overcooking Them

This is likely the most common mistake cooks make when it comes to chicken breasts.

If you're baking it, keep it covered with a baking sheet or with the pan-top for about 80% of the total baking time, uncover it only when the breast is cooked and tender but there's juices in the pan. Once uncovered, the juices will evaporate quickly in the oven, and you'll have a juicy chicken breast to eat.

While all cuts of chicken are fair game for the Instant Pot, thighs are the most forgiving. Because chicken breast is so lean, just a couple of extra minutes of cook time turns them from juicy to overcooked and dry.

Chicken breasts, thighs or drumsticks

By placing cooking liquid in the bottom of the pressure cooker and placing the chicken in the steamer basket above the liquid, you are guaranteed tender, moist chicken every time. However, you can also use the cooker to make a sauce and cook your chicken submerged in flavour.

Quick vs.

In natural pressure release, the cooker is left to cool down on its own (partially or fully) before the lid is opened. Natural release is recommended when pressure cooking braised meats. Quick pressure release can cause chicken to shrink and become tough.

There's lots of water in the meat too, so even 1 cup added water will result in a fair amount of liquid after cooking. No you do not have to cover it.

Ultimately, slow cooking allowed our chicken to be perfectly seasoned without compromising the meat texture, a luxury pressure cooking can't afford.

What is the best meat to pressure cook? ›

You can still pressure cook leaner pieces – like eye of round and top sirloin – but these work best if they've been stuffed, shredded or rolled (with other ingredients). Best cuts of beef to use: Chuck steak, Round Roast, Shoulder, Pot roast, Ribs, Brisket, Oxtail.

If you've ever cooked a chicken breast and had it turn out tough and chewy, it might not have been your fault. Some chickens are affected by a condition called “woody breast,” which is the result of hardened muscle fibers . To lessen the chance of getting a woody breast, buy your chicken from smaller farms.

Am I undercooking or overcooking it? You are not over or under cooking your chicken. The company who sells the chicken that go to market often inject a solution which adds weight to the chicken and when too much solution is injected it causes stringy and rubbery chicken after it is cooked.

Marinating is good for flavouring and tenderising your chicken at the same time. It's best to marinate your chicken overnight to give the flavours plenty of time to infuse. A faster way to add flavour is to simply brine your chicken in salty water prior to cooking.

1: Prep the Chicken 15 Minutes Before Cooking

Next, season both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature for 15 minutes; this ensures even cooking results, plus, it gives the salt and pepper time to permeate the skin.

Close-up of a woman slicing raw chicken breast meat on a cutting board. Chicken becomes more tender the longer it cooks. Unfortunately, most cooking methods produce extremely dry meat when the chicken is cooked long enough to become tender.

Aside from classics like salt, pepper, basil and garlic, you could try using chilli powder, ginger, cumin, cayenne, paprika, oregano, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Bake Chicken Breast at 425°F

425°F is the best temperature for baking chicken. The chicken turns golden on the outside and unbelievably juicy inside. At a lower temperature like 350°F, the chicken can dry out, as it will need to be in the oven for a longer period.